Porto panic: United held by late Gonzalez stunner

Sir Alex Ferguson fears Manchester United are on the brink
of crashing out of the Champions
League after a night of kamikaze
football against Porto.

United were held 2-2 at Old Trafford -
they have now conceded eight goals in their
last three games at home - and must
become the first English team to win at
Porto's Stadium of Dragons if they want to
advance to the semi-finals.

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Goals from Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez were not enough for United, who have lost their way in the last three weeks and are struggling for form.

By contrast, Arsenal were celebrating a 1-1 draw at Villarreal, courtesy of Emmanuel Adebayor's spectacular scissor kick equaliser, which gives them a great chance of reaching the last four.

Manager Ferguson was critical of his United team as the defending champions were left facing a surprise exit against the Portuguese underdogs.

He slammed his side's lack of concentration as Porto hit back late on to take a draw from their Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Mariano Gonzalez grabbed the equaliser for the visitors to Old Trafford with 90 seconds left, and Ferguson said: 'The result was about right - first half they were the better side but second half we improved and got more possession.

'But getting the (second) goal the way they did - we should really have defended that. It was a bad goal to lose.

Down on his luck: Wayne Rooney appeals unsuccessfully for a foul by Porto's Fernando

'It's been a hard two days for the players after playing Aston Villa on Sunday, but they were lacking in concentration.'

Ferguson, who said centre half Jonny Evans had limped out with a groin injury, added: 'You get a 2-1 lead with four or five minutes left, you really should see it out.

'We've got a game on Saturday (at Sunderland), there's still a lot going for us, but it's a difficult game now in Porto, no question of that.'

Adebayor admitted he does not know how he scored the acrobatic effort which put Arsenal in the driving seat after the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.

Adebayor executed a stunning bicycle kick in the second half to equaliser and give Arsenal the cushion of an away goal for the return leg at Emirates Stadium.

'I'm really pleased with how I played. I don't even know how I scored, but the most important thing is that the ball went in,' the Togo striker said.

'The most important thing is to play and do something good here and I think we have done that quite well.

'It was difficult for us because we played against a team who play good football, but we enjoyed it.

'Even though the second leg is going to be tough we are playing at home.'